A group or event enquiry is a valuable call for a hotel, and an easy one to lose. The planner is often calling three or four properties on the same day, and the one that sounds organised, asks the right questions and follows up in writing tends to move to the next stage. This guide gives you a script for answering and making hotel sales calls for group and event bookings.
It covers who picks up the phone, how to qualify an event in the first call, a script for a group enquiry and what to say when the answer is "we are sending it to procurement". Adapt the wording to your property and your own booking policies.
Who answers the phone at a hotel sales office
The person who picks up may be a sales manager, a coordinator, a reservations agent or a front desk colleague covering the line. The caller may be an event planner, a company assistant or a family member planning a wedding. You cannot assume anything, so begin with a neutral, friendly opening and learn who you are talking to.
Sales: Good morning, Riverside Hotel sales office, this is Anna. How can I help?
Caller: Hello, I am looking for a venue for a two-day team meeting.
Sales: Happy to help. May I take your name first, and a number in case we get cut off?
Taking a name and a number early protects the lead. If the line drops, you can still call back.
When you are the one calling a planner, say who you are and why, and ask whether it is a good moment. Planners are usually busy, and a call that starts with respect is more likely to continue.
Qualify the event in the first call
You do not need every detail on the first call. You need enough to decide whether you can host the event and what to send. Six questions cover most of it.
- Dates: "Which dates are you considering, and are they flexible by a day or two?"
- Size: "Roughly how many guests, and how many would stay overnight?"
- Type: "What kind of event is it, a meeting, a conference, a celebration?"
- Rooms and space: "Do you need one main room, or breakouts as well?"
- Catering: "Would you like food and drink included, or only the room?"
- Decision: "Who else is involved in choosing the venue, and when do you need to decide?"
The last question quietly tells you whether you are talking to the decision maker. It also gives you a deadline to work to.
Script for a group enquiry
Sales: So that I understand, you are looking at thirty people on the fourteenth and fifteenth of March, with twenty staying overnight, one main room and two breakouts. Is that right?
Caller: Yes, that is it.
Sales: Thank you. Two quick questions so that I send you something useful. Do you need the room set out theatre style or in tables, and is there a budget range you would like me to work within?
Caller: Tables. And we have a rough budget per person, but I would rather see your proposal first.
Sales: That is fine. I will send you a written proposal today with the meeting room, the catering options and the accommodation. Would it help if I called you on Thursday morning to go through it, or would you prefer to read it first?
Three habits show here. The agent repeats the details back, which prevents mistakes. She asks only questions that change the proposal. And she offers a specific follow-up time instead of waiting.
Do not give final prices from memory if your prices depend on dates and availability. Say what you can confirm, and say when you will confirm the rest.
Handling "we are sending it to procurement"
Large organisations often route venue choices through a procurement team. The planner may be sincere, or may be using the phrase to end the call. Either way, your job is to stay useful and keep contact.
Caller: Thanks, but we are sending all the enquiries to procurement.
Sales: Of course, that is common. So that your procurement team has everything, may I ask what they usually need from a venue, for example a rate sheet, a floor plan, or references to similar events?
Caller: Probably the rate sheet and the capacity.
Sales: I will send both today. Would it help if I also had a short call with the planner after they have seen it, in case they have questions about the day itself?
You are not fighting the process. You are making your property easy to include and keeping a line to the person who knows what the event needs.
Ask for the name of the procurement contact, and ask whether it is acceptable to send the material to them directly.
Next step and written follow-up
Every call should end with a time, an action and a name.
- Repeat the date, numbers and key requirements.
- Say what you will send and when.
- Agree the next call, even a five-minute one.
- Send the follow-up within the hour, with the key points in a short list.
A good follow-up message is short: thanks, the details you understood, what is attached, the next call time and your direct number. If the planner replies with changes, update the proposal and say what has changed.
Drill: three practice rounds
Round one, the six questions. A partner plays a planner who gives only vague answers. Practise asking follow-ups that sound curious, not like a form.
Round two, the repeat-back. The partner reads a long event brief quickly. Practise summarising it in three sentences and checking it.
Round three, the procurement exit. The partner repeats the procurement line. Practise staying helpful and getting a name and a next step.
You can also run these as a voice call with DIRI AI, where the AI customer plays an event planner in a prepared situation. The AI feedback afterwards points to moments to retry. See the sample dialogues for how a practice call looks.
Related: Event Sponsorship Sales Call Script, Trade Show Lead Follow-Up Call Script, Handling "Send Me an Email", Booking the Meeting on a Cold Call.
FAQ
Should I quote a price on the first call?
Give a range only if you can stand behind it. Otherwise explain that the rate depends on dates and numbers, and promise a written proposal.
What if the planner is comparing many hotels?
Be easy to work with. A fast, clear and accurate reply is a real advantage.
How quickly should I follow up?
The same day if possible. Planners often move on to whoever replies first.
What if the dates are not available?
Say so quickly, and offer the nearest alternatives. A clear "no" with options is better than silence.
To rehearse qualifying an event out loud, try DIRI AI. The Free plan gives you 3 voice calls a month of up to five minutes each, with no card needed. Start free and choose a sales scenario.